1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle drivelines, and more particularly to modular yoke assemblies for drivelines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, the purpose of a driveshaft is to transmit torque and rotational motion at a fixed or varying angular relationship from one shaft to another and, when necessary, to account for axial movement. A driveshaft is an assembly consisting of one or two universal joints connected by a solid or tubular shaft. There are thousands of different driveshafts and driveshaft component configurations. All driveshafts incorporate one or more universal joints. A universal joint is a mechanical device that can transmit torque and/or rotary motion from one shaft to another at fixed or varying angles of intersection of the shaft axis. In order to function as intended, these universal joints are mated with at least one yoke. A yoke is a device that unites, couples, or connects, and is the basic torque input and output component within a driveline by connecting a universal joint to another component within the driveline. A yoke is typically contained within a yoke assembly made up of a yoke portion and a barrel portion. The barrel portion connects the shaft to the yoke portion. Further, the yoke portion is also connected to a cruciform for rotation about an independent axis. The cruciform includes four orthogonal trunnions with each opposing pair of axially aligned trunnions mounted in a pair of aligned bores within a yoke.
Typically a bearing cup is secured in each bore and a bearing assembly is retained in the bearing cup such that each yoke is supported for pivotal movement relative to a pair of the trunnions. Various conventional universal joints having yoke portions are known to those skilled in the art. However, the yoke and barrel portions are typically formed from a unitary member. Therefore, different yoke and barrel portions are typically not interchangeable with each other. In instances where the yoke portion and the barrel portion are formed from separate members and attached, they typically are formed only to mate with a specific other piece, and as such cannot be easily mixed and matched for uses with different components. Furthermore, the point of attachment can often result in a weakness of the yoke assembly, which can lead to potential breakdown with over time with use.
As such, there is a need for a yoke assembly that allows for easy, and universal, mating between differing yoke portions and differing barrel, or flange, portions. Furthermore, there is a need for a yoke assembly with great strength that will minimize shear forces between the yoke portion and the barrel portion.